


The Runaways

by acciolorien



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Allison Lives AU, Allydia - Freeform, F/F, Fluff, Roadtrip, allison argent lives AU, roadtrip au, travelling
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-02-03
Updated: 2015-02-13
Packaged: 2018-03-10 08:02:42
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,880
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3282959
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/acciolorien/pseuds/acciolorien
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It was almost nightfall, and Allison rapt her fingers against the steering wheel -- a nervous twitch. There was so much she had to think about, and so little time to act. </p><p>First, Allison was almost sure - no, she was certain - that Lydia was in danger. The signs all lead to the same conclusion. There was a cult of incredibly old, and incredibly powerful crazed Dionysus worshipers who called themselves the Maenads; and they wanted Lydia. Second, there was no way the pack would be able to protect her. Third, Lydia could not protect herself. </p><p>So, that only left one option. Allison would have to take Lydia far away from Beacon Hills.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Flight

**Author's Note:**

> Eeep! This is a roadtrip fic with Allison and Lydia across America ~ So, I hope you guys enjoy the first chapter! If you have any suggestions, constructive criticisms or opinions, do feel free to drop a comment! :)

It was almost nightfall, and Allison rapt her fingers against the steering wheel -- a nervous twitch. There was so much she had to think about, and so little time to act.

 

First, Allison was almost sure - no, she was certain - that Lydia was in danger. The signs all lead to the same conclusion. There was a cult of incredibly old, and incredibly powerful crazed Dionysus worshipers who called themselves the Maenads; and they wanted Lydia. Second, there was no way the pack would be able to protect her. Third, Lydia could not protect herself.

 

So, that only left one option. Allison would have to take Lydia far away from Beacon Hills. If they could not stand and fight, they would have to flee. Besides, Allison could fight anything that barred their escape. They would just have to continue avoiding a confrontation with this cult for as long as possible.

 

If they kept on the move, Allison would just be able to keep Lydia out of their clutches. They would have to keep zigzagging between town after town, until the Maenads lost their trail. Only then would they be able to settle down - at least, for a little while.

 

Allison took a deep breath, and forced herself out of the car. She had parked outside of Lydia's house half an hour ago -- too scared to act on her decisions. Allison shoved that fear into the dark, and moved to Lydia's front door.

 

"Lydia - Open up! I need to - speak to you!" she yelled between knocks. "This is important!"

 

It didn't take long for Lydia to open the door. "And, Allison, what’s so important that it has to interrupt my studying?" There she stood, unharmed, with her strawberry blonde hair curled to perfection, and a pen tucked behind her ear.

Allison stepped over the threshold and shut the door behind her. "Something that requires us to leave Beacon Hills - right now." She hurried up the stairs into Lydia's room, and started throwing clothes from her wardrobe onto her bed.

 

Lydia had followed. “Whoa, slow down there, girl. First you have to tell me why we’re leaving, and why I can’t pack for myself.” She stood between Allison and the wardrobe, barring her from gathering any more clothes. "Where's Scott?"

 

Allison couldn't meet her eyes, and chose, instead, to stare at the white blouse in her hands. "Scott... Scott doesn't know that I'm taking you - and he can't know, because otherwise he won't let us go!" And it was true. Scott would say that Lydia was more protected with the pack, than without it. Allison, however, knew that they didn’t stand a chance.

 

"Won't let us go /where/? Allison, you have to tell me what's going on!" Lydia replied, as she took the blouse from Allison, and threw it on the bed.

 

Allison gave a stiff nod, and then sat down on the mattress, gesturing for Lydia to do the same. After a moment of indecision, she did.

 

“We have to leave Beacon Hills, because you’re in danger. No, shut up and listen to me, Lydia. We've been hearing about pet owner’s finding their animals torn to pieces, all over California.” Lydia looked like she wanted to say something, but the glare in Allison’s eyes forced her to remain quiet. “Stiles and I - we figured out what it was. It’s a sign of the Maenads-”

 

“Hold on, Allison; you think that a bunch of Dionysus - the wine god - worshipers are killing people’s pets? How could that mean they're after /me/?" Lydia looked incredulous. Out of everything they had seen so far in Beacon Hills, a bunch of crazed girls in a cult, didn't seem so scary.

 

"You didn't let me finish, Lydia - these Maenads... they're leaving clues all over the place. Stiles found a torn page out of a book, at one of the scenes. It was a page about banshees, Lydia. And what are you? A banshee! To top it all off - I know you've been hearing strange chanting lately. You can't focus in class anymore, because it's getting so loud."

  
  


Lydia frowned as she shook her head. “I only told you about that because… because.. Well, I don’t know! But I do know that I am not in any sort of danger.” She used a matter-of-fact tone she thought would convince Allison over. Allison crossed her arms, with a stern expression.

 

“Get in the car, Lydia - we have to leave right now, or they’ll catch up to us with ease.” Allison weaved her way through Lydia’s sudden blockade of outstretched arms to the wardrobe again. This time she pulled out quite a large suitcase. “Hurry up and pack this all up. I have to check that I've got everything back in the car - Please, Lydia,” Allison added with as a softer note. Lydia looked ready to argue once again, instead she nodded. That was Allison’s cue to leave.

 

She took the stairs two at a time, almost falling on the last step, but due to her hunting reflexes, she steadied herself before the fall. Allison tore open the front door and sprinted to the boot of her car. Inside, she checked everything over twice. There was her bow, a quiver of assorted arrows, her Chinese ring daggers, a cache of guns, and a suitcase of personal belongings. They would need to travel light, and to be able to switch cars within in minutes.

 

Allison picked up the bow and placed it over her shoulder. It would be best to keep it nearby -- at least until she knew they were safe, and on the road.

 

Lydia met her at the front door, hauling the large suitcase behind her. “Uh, uh - don’t even think about it, Allison, I can carry this myself.” And she proceeded to do so, lugging it all the way to the car and then shoving it into the backseat.

 

With a slam of cars doors, Allison was already halfway out the driveway, and soon they were on the road.

 

“So, where is it exactly that we’re going, hm?” Lydia asked, turning herself in her seat to face Allison.

 

Allison remained quiet for a while. She had only been thinking about getting Lydia out of Beacon Hills. That was the priority. But now she thought about which route they’d take, and where they’d go. “Well, first we have to get out of Beacon Hills, thus California as well. I was thinking we’d head south and follow that line until we reach Florida. From there we can head to New York, stay there for a while.”

 

“And where do you suppose we’ll get the money to do this, Allison?” That was Lydia -- always with the logical questions. Again, Allison mulled the question over.

 

“My dad can wire us money as we go. We can pick up a few night jobs along the way -- bars and hotel cleaning, and what not. It’ll be easy.” Lydia didn’t look like she believed it would be, and decided to hold her tongue instead.

 

-

 

“What am I supposed to tell Mum?” Lydia asked after a few hours of silence. She had been staring out of the window, watching the Californian landscape fly by, but now it bored her. It was time to rattle off another series of questions. “Also, what are we going to do about school?”

 

Lydia saw Allison’s hands tighten on the steering wheel. She had tucked up her dark hair in a half-ponytail, and her layers had fallen around her cheeks. Even with her glazed over expression, lost in concentration, Lydia couldn't deny how pretty she was. It was impossible not to get lost in rosy glow of her cheeks and lips, and the sharp slant of her nose. Of course, there were those big, brown eyes that always had a calculative look about them. It was like she was trying to analyse every aspect of her surroundings, at all times.

 

“Just tell her that.. you’re.. running away -- I don’t know, Lydia. You know her best; what would she believe?” Allison side-glanced her as she spoke.

 

Lydia shifted in her seat. She had no idea what her mother would believe. “I guess.. I could tell her that it was a surprise field trip? But Allison, she’ll kick up a fuss with the police if we’re gone for too long.”

 

“The Sheriff can handle that.” Allison waved her hand in the air, then gave another sidelong peek at Lydia. “Trust me, Lydia, running will keep you a lot safer than remaining back in Beacon Hills.”

 

Trust me. Lydia sighed, because that was exactly why she was here. She trusted Allison with her life. She trusted her enough to pack all her possessions, and climb into a car that would take her far away from her home. All this because she trusted Allison to do what’s best for her. But how did she know what was best for her?

 

Lydia was the one with the supernatural senses - not Allison, or Stiles. She was the one who could sense danger. Of course, Allison had been right about the chanting. It had been getting louder with each new day; loud enough to disturb her focus in school. But had the chanting been in Ancient Greek? That would explain the Maenad theory, but Lydia didn’t speak Ancient Greek.

  
The chanting was still echoing around in her head -- it was dull, now. Lydia didn’t want to admit that it might be because they had crossed the Californian border into Arizona. 

 

“We need to pull over soon… I’m getting tired.” Allison said, rubbing one of her eyes with the heel of her palm.

 

“Let me drive, then,” Lydia replied, gesturing for Allison to park on the side of the highway. She mumbled an agreement and did just that. The pair switched sides and soon they were back on the road, heading towards Phoenix.

 

Lydia couldn’t help but feel a droplet of doubt in the pit of her stomach. Doubt that they were running the right way.

 

 


	2. Slumber

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Her nightmare had stuck to her like her Aunt Kate’s gooey stew. It was everywhere, and Allison was having a hard time getting rid of it. There images that seeped through into the daylight. Pictures of Lydia put through all sorts of torture schemes… and then her screams. Her banshee screams. Over and over again, Allison heard Lydia scream her name. It bounced off invisible concrete walls, echoing louder each time. 
> 
> ALLISON!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Eeep! So, here's the second chapter of this Roadtrip Allydia Fic, and I hope you guys enjoy it! 
> 
> (Allydia fluff will come up in later chapters /a lot/. I just need to set up the plot, and stuff, y'know?)
> 
> If you have any comments, and suggestions, feel free! ^_^

Lydia had been driving since midnight, and now the sun was just starting to peak over the desolate horizon. She had hoped to make conversation as she drove, so she wouldn’t be alone with her thoughts, but Allison had other ideas. She fell asleep with her head against the passenger window soon after Lydia had taken over driving duties. Figures, Lydia thought. 

Sleep had begun to creep up on Lydia but their first major city, and what would their first stop, had started to show in the distance. Lydia saw what she imagined to be towering skyscrapers, but they merely resembled silver toothpicks against the mountainous background. 

“Psst, Allison, wake up - wake up!” Lydia resorted to shaking the sleeping girl’s shoulder with one hand. 

Allison mumbled under her breath, but then it was as if someone had chucked a bucket of cold water atop of her. She shot straight up in her seat, her hands splayed out on the dashboard and her chest heaving with ragged breaths. 

“Lydia - it’s almost daybreak! Why didn’t you pull over, or wake me up?” Allison screeched, shooting a wild, frantic look at Lydia. 

She rolled her eyes and shrugged. “I /did/ wake you up… Just later than expected.” Lydia noticed Allison rubbing her temples, as if she was recovering from a big headache. “Hey, is everything alright? What’s going on in that head of yours?”

“It’s nothing. Just the remnants of a bad dream.” 

“If you say so. You’ll have to tell me about it later. But after we find a place to sleep - we’re in Phoenix, by the way.” Lydia gestured to the windshield, where they could finally see the sprawling city up close. 

 

“I came here with my father once - I was only ten years old. I don’t remember the place at all.” Lydia said nothing in reply. If things went according to the last minute plan she just schemed together, they would have nothing from the city to remember it by. Nothing but the memory of comfy beds, of course. 

-

 

Her nightmare had stuck to her like her Aunt Kate’s gooey stew. It was everywhere, and Allison was having a hard time getting rid of it. There images that seeped through into the daylight. Pictures of Lydia put through all sorts of torture schemes… and then her screams. Her banshee screams. Over and over again, Allison heard Lydia scream her name. It bounced off invisible concrete walls, echoing louder each time. 

ALLISON!

Allison attempted to unlock the door to their hotel room with hands that shook. The keys looked fuzzy and she seemed unable to place it in the lock. Hairs on the back of her neck stood on their ends, and it only made her feel as if someone had watched them from behind a bush. 

Had they come far enough to rest without fearing an attack? Had the Maenads caught up already? Was Lydia safe? Allison’s head swarmed with little doubts, but she pushed them away when Lydia’s hands closed upon her own. 

“Allison - you’re shaking.” Lydia’s voice was kind, but worried. “Here, it’s okay - give me the keys - and you go lie down, please.” she said as the door swung wide. 

Allison wandered inside. Her senses appeared like they had fried. She could see nothing of her surroundings - just the large bed in the middle of the room. Even Lydia had escaped her sight for the moment. She felt an unbearable exhaustion weighing on her shoulders, despite her rocky slumber on the road. 

But even with her current lack of vigilance, there was something there, lurking in the background… Something that never quite left. 

It only took a few short stumbles until Allison fell stomach first on top of the bed. She heard Lydia mumble something about her suitcase and the car, but by then Allison had already begun to forget where she was. Sleep took to her in no time. 

-

“I wonder what knocked you out, and where I can get some of it,” Lydia mumbled as she looked upon the sleeping huntress. There was a line of drool that dripped from the corner of her mouth onto the bedspread. In a dorky kind of way, Lydia found it adorable. 

She shifted Allison’s body so that it was completely on the mattress. Next, she removed her shoes, and placed a pillow beneath her head. She admired her work, and thought that Allison looked peaceful - no worry lines creased her delicate face. If only Lydia could feel that at peace; it’d beat the pit of fear that had opened up inside her stomach. 

“I still think that no one is after me, Allison.” She said to the open air. Allison snorted in her sleep, which in turn, scared the willies out of Lydia. “You nearly gave me a heart attack, gosh.” 

Lydia took one last look at the sleepy face in her bed, and moved a chair from the table, to the window. Since Allison had fallen asleep on her again, she had to start the first watch. 

It was boring work. The same black cat had wandered the perimeter of the hotel five times, and Lydia had begun to feel the first signs of exhaustion. The high of remaining awake all night had failed. Constant dizziness and drooped eyes replaced its oomph. 

“Nothing will happen if I only close my eyes for a moment, right?” Lydia mumbled, as she rested her head on her palm. It took one yawn, and another black cat perimetre check, for Lydia to succumb to sleep. 

-

The world had been soft, and warm, when Allison finally woke up. She felt the spread underneath her body, and the pillow beneath her head. It felt so right to be lying there - without a care in the world. 

But reality crept back into focus, and Allison jerked back into alertness. She fell right of the edge of the bed, and landed on her back. The hotel floor was as unforgiving as her father’s training sessions. 

She groaned and sat up. It didn’t take Allison long to notice that something was off. There had been no snide remark from Lydia - not even a snicker. 

Allison scanned the room and saw no sign of her best friend. Only an empty chair remained by the window, and their room door looked as if something forced it open. The wood had splintered in the arch, and the door itself hung on one set of hinges.

“LYDIA!” 

-

Lydia saw nothing. Everything in her sight was black - either she couldn't see, or there was no light in the room. She felt nothing but a set of binds on her wrists, and the cement floor beneath her.


	3. Black Cats

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A sleek, black cat with shiny fur, trotted across the threshold of the room. It was a terrible kind of beautiful. Dazzling, and mysterious. It’s wide, green eyes impatient as they stared at Allison, who stared back with a look of anticipation. 
> 
> "You want me to follow you, don't you?" she asked.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! Hopefully this chapter is a little more thought out and edited, than the previous ones! I know I had so much fun writing this one, which is why it is so long! 
> 
> Hope you enjoy!

Lydia sat with her back against the wall, and her arms stretched out in front of her. There seemed to be some kind of musical instrument in front of her. There were a few holes, and a wooden reed… As far as Lydia could tell, it was either a clarinet or an oboe.

 

So, for all she knew, Lydia was inside some kind of music room. It wasn’t soundproof. Lydia had felt along the walls when she woke up. They were as hard as the concrete floor beneath her. So, if the room wasn’t appropriate for musical instruments then it must be some sort of store room.

 

She sighed - a great heave of her chest. There didn't seem to be anyway out of the room. The had been no gap in the wall for a door, and there wasn't a trap door beneath her. The only explanation that Lydia could think up was that there was some sort of ceiling flap, with a ladder.

 

“WHERE AM I?” Lydia screamed into the darkness. There was only silence in reply.

 

She huffed, and tried for the one hundredth time, to struggle against her bonds. They were plastic cable ties - easy enough to break, but Lydia couldn’t see what she was doing. She’d more than likely break her wrist in the attempt.

 

So many situations swarmed her mind, but they didn’t seem credible. If the Maenads had found her - why hadn’t they killed her already? Or done to her, what they wanted to do? If they had found her, why had their chanting stopped? Would it not be louder than ever?

 

“WHO ARE YOU?” she yelled at the top of her lungs.

 

In a sickening, blinding moment, the room filled with bright white light. Long fluorescent lights on the ceiling glowed with anger.

 

Lydia took in her first view of the room. It was a storeroom. There were different instruments strewn all across the concrete floor. She had been right - there were no doors along the four walls, or the across the floor. But there was a ceiling flap with a cord.

 

If she could somehow reach the cord… it might be her way out. The only downside was that she didn’t know where she’d end up. It was worth the risk, she decided.

 

The world spun when she stood, but it righted itself as she moved towards the dangling cord. Lydia reached with her bound hands - but a staircase started spilling from the ceiling without her eager prompt.

 

Lydia jumped back and pressed herself against the far wall. After a second of indecision, she pushed forward to peek through open the flap.

 

A dark silhouette against white light appeared in the trapdoor.

 

-

Allison continued her calculative observation of the swinging door of their hotel room. She was attempting to gain an objective view of the damage. That way she’d be able to identify what had happened, and who had taken Lydia.

 

She had used up all her emotional resources soon after discovering Lydia’s disappearance. It had been a reckless moment for Allison; who had cried, screamed and hyperventilated.

 

It was all her fault. She had fallen asleep on Lydia, and it was her who had let the Maenads whisk her away.

 

If it _was_ the Maenads.. Allison chewed her bottom lip. Surely they would have taken Allison too? Or at least taken care of her? There was no way that they’d let her go - untouched, and with the ability to follow them?

 

But whoever had taken Lydia, had not deemed Allison such a threat to their operation. That eased Allison’s fears; at least she’d have the advantage of surprise. That’s if she found out where they had taken her, of course.

 

Allison had deemed it a good idea to detach herself from the worry and fear that would be normal in such a situation.

 

“Approach the situation clinically, and unemotionally.” she echoed the words of her mother.  She breathed, and shoved all the unwanted emotional baggage deep within her gut. She proceeded to inspect the broken door.

 

It looked the same as it had when Allison first discovered it. Splintered, and dangling on one set of hinges. It let out a vile squeak when it caught the wind.

 

Allison stared and waited for something to click, or for something to appear that she hadn’t seen before. She didn’t have to wait too long.

 

A sleek, black cat with shiny fur, trotted across the threshold of the room. It was a terrible kind of beautiful. Dazzling, and mysterious. It’s wide, green eyes impatient as they stared at Allison, who stared back with a look of anticipation.

 

Allison believed in many things in the world, that she had before thought untrue. These things included: werewolves, banshees, demons, bipedal lizard people...  But she had never imagined that certain superstitious myths would be real.

 

Regardless of her doubt, black cats were regarded as having supernatural senses. So, she waited and listened.

 

The cat purred as it scampered towards Allison. It curled it’s long tail around her legs, and its head jutted towards the door. Allison looked down at the cat with an eyebrow quirked up her forehead.

 

“You want me to follow you, don’t you?” she asked. It was one of her only shots to find Lydia, and since she couldn’t find any other information, the cat seemed like the best idea. [fix wording].

 

The cat purred louder and started towards the exit. She grabbed hold of her bow from its resting place, and tied her quiver around her thigh.

 

Allison trailed behind the peculiar animal. It lead her far away from the hotel grounds, and deep into the winding city. 

-

“Lydia, my darling.” A woman spoke as she descended the stairs. “Don’t be afraid - I’m not going to hurt you.” She spoke with a smooth, yet overpowered Romanian accent. She had an undercut, with a flop of shaggy blonde hair on top, and youthful features imprinted on her face. She couldn’t have been much older than Lydia.

 

Lydia remained with her back against the wall, and stared nonplussed at her captor. “Why did you bring me here? Who are you?”

 

The new arrival gave Lydia a sweet smile. It was sickening. “I did not bring you here - that was the job of one of my companions… I’m not going to release you until I have your word that you will not try to run. I’m not going to hurt you.”

 

Lydia did not move, nor nod. She stood still, calculating the risks, and the advantages. If she did run, the woman might have guards waiting at the top of the stairs, or she might even barricade Lydia by herself.

 

She had the air of a fighter, tall with a slim but strong build. She reminded Lydia more and more of Allison as each moment passed. Even their idiosyncrasies were similar; her lips curled into a half-smile with ease, and the way her fingers danced against her thigh.

 

Lydia noticed that she carried no weapons, or at least, no weapons that she could see. Her fear was ebbing away as the woman made no moves as well. It was as if Lydia was a frightened, and wounded animal that she needed to take care of.

 

“Who are you?” Lydia said again, each word said with vicious determination. Despite the familiarity towards her captor, Lydia insisted on remembering that that this woman _kidnapped_ her.

 

“I am called _Valeria_ by my companions; and I am - like you, Lydia Martin - a banshee.” Valeria moved forwards, and scooped up a pair of small wirecutters from behind a bass drum. “The means of escaping were all in here - you just had to look. Now, do I have your word that you will not run?”

 

Lydia didn’t know whether or not she believed Valeria, but having her hands untied would be an advantage in any situation. She nodded and held her hands out before her. Valeria cut the cable-ties from Lydia’s hands.

 

She rubbed the red bands that had formed around her wrists. “Why did you bring me here?”

 

“I need to talk to you; without your hunter lurking in the background. Don’t worry, I have not harmed her. She is on her way her now, being led by Karina…” Valeria trailed off, waving her hand in the air.

 

She pulled up a stool and sat down in front of Lydia.

 

“Why do you need to talk to me?” Lydia prompted. It was odd; that this woman had drugged her, tied her up and kept her in the dark, all so Valeria could talk to her. Lydia’s suspicions had not disappeared entirely.

 

“If you keep talking, how will I explain myself, Lydia?” Valeria tsked, and crossed her arms across her chest.

 

Lydia made a point of staying silent.

 

“Good girl,” Valeria purred. “As you know, there is a group of Maenads tailing you. They are a most ancient cult, built upon rituals and madness… They worship the Greek God, Dionysus, and sacrifice woodland animals for their power. Now, while they may be addicted to the ecstasy their patron provides them with, they are intelligent and manipulative. They follow one particular woman, a Nymph, called Lethe.”

 

Lydia noted the name, but it did not stir anything inside her. She already knew the myths about the Maenads, and knew what power they had. What she didn’t know was why they wanted her. “Does Lethe have some sort of grudge against… me?”

 

“You are smart, Lydia. That is half correct. You see, Lethe is one half of a whole. She was born with a twin sister… Nysa. Alas, Nysa was lost sometime ago, during a ritual that turned deadly for the nymph. … Lydia, you are ignorant of a history that has been laced within the women of your family tree for eons. You know of your grandmother, yes? How she, too, was a banshee?”

 

Lydia gave a small nod. It had only been a recent discovery, and there were still so many questions. Valeria continued.

 

“Her mother, you see, _was a Maenad._ She was a new initiate, but she was favored by Nysa especially. She learnt their ways, their rituals and their pastimes. Everything was in order for her initiation ceremony… but something went wrong. The ritual was interrupted and - Nysa, was lost. Lethe blames your great grandmother for the death of her sister.”

 

“How do you know all of this, Valeria?” Lydia asked. It seemed too perfect, too well-put together to be real.

 

“One of my comrades escaped with her life that night. She was a Maenad, and she joined me not long ago. She found me. I have been having dreams about you, and your hunter, Lydia. And I want to help you.” Valeria splayed her hands out in front of her. She was less offensive than before, more open and friendly. She wore Allison’s half smile with ease.

 

Lydia raised her chin, and pinched her eyebrows together. “Why did you lock me up?”

 

“That was not my intention, I assure you. My comrade, Felix, has rather a sick sense of humor.”

 

Lydia frowned, and then nodded. “How can you help?”

 

-

After half an hour of endless walking, the black cat stopped in front of an empty music store. The sign on the door read ‘CLOSED for weekend’. Inside it was completely dark.

 

Allison looked down at the cat that was purring against her calf. “You have got to be kidding me, McGonagall,” she nicknamed the cat, “I can’t add breaking-and-entering on the list of crimes that I’ll surely commit on this trip.”

 

She thought she saw the cat roll its slitted eyes, but it had to be a trick of the light. McGonagall disappeared inside a hole in the exterior brick wall. It returned after a minute with a silver key in its mouth.

 

“Now trespassing I can deal with.” Allison took the key and unlocked the front door. A bell dinged as she entered.

 

She waited for the cat to creep inside before she shut the door behind her. The room was cold, and a layer of dust had settled atop of the instruments. Allison moved with caution across the floorboards, edging closer to the back room.

 

Inside of the back room were three open doors. One led into an office, another to a bathroom, and one into a basement storeroom. The lights were off in every room, bar the basement. There were voices wafting up through the gap. _Lydia’s voice._

 

Allison drew her bow for the first time.

 

With a nocked arrow, Allison descended the stairs into the basement.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and to let you know, all comments are appreciated, and if you have any suggestions, I'd love to hear them! I'm also looking for a beta reader (because let's face, other people pick up things in your writing better than you do!) so if you think that's something you'd like to do, then you can find me on tumblr at ofcalypso.tumblr.com ! Thanks! :)


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